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Marlin Thunder Offshore and Roosterfish Light it Up Inshore at Crocodile Bay Resort!Costa Rica Fishing Report, August 2013 By Will Briegel filling in for Todd Staley

Catching at least one blue marlin has been commonplace for those venturing offshore during their three day fishing packages, and if you’re not lucky enough to find that school of bonito that the marlin are chasing – there have been plenty of sailfish hanging around with folks releasing at least one or two each, there were a couple 4/4 -5/4 days which are great for July. Lets hope they stick around in August. Here’s some pics of this month’s marlin and sailfish releases aka”Blue Thunder” with some nice blue marlin being released.

Inshore, the “White Lightning” has been striking in the form of ravaging roosterfish running ramped, with no signs of this year’s Rooster Rally letting up (Click here to sign-up for our Roosterfish Competetion in August). In the past we have had guests come from as far away as New Zealand and Russia just to tangle with these tough scrappers that would probably score a 9 out of 10 if there was an America’s Top Fish modeling reality show. With their sleek striped body and cool 7 point comb, roosters offer inshore anglers the whole package. Roosterfish use their flat body against the current causing them to shoot out of the water with a sliver “flash” and at times dance like a sailfish. They can also stun you with their strength even at smaller sizes (15 to 25 lbs range) Although in the past couple of weeks most anglers have been getting them in the 35 to 50 lb range (see photos..some of these roosters look bigger than the kids catching them!)

What happens after a 7 Roosterfish Day? Hit the Spa! I’m convinced the reason visionary and Crocodile Bay founder Robin Williams (not the comedian/actor) created a state-of-the-art luxury spa at the resort was for those anglers who target roosterfish, tuna or marlin. These fishermen/women bring big smiles and tall “Fish Tales” to the bar after the catch, but in the morning it’s all about the lumbar which is screaming for relief from one of our talented spa therapists – and trust me, an hour massage designed specially for anglers will have you rejuvenated and ready to get back out there to do some more battling.

For the significant other in your life, for instance, your wife, our spa offers over 20 amazing treatments with the majority of ingredients extracted from Costa Rica’s largest coastal rainforest, you’re gonna love it.

RETURN OF THE HUMPBACKS! As predicted months ago by Fishing Director Todd Staley, the humpbacks are in our protected gulf teaching their calves how to hunt dive and communicate – a sort of kindergarten for humpbacks if you will. As we move into August, there were reports of seven; yes (7) pairs of humpbacks in our backyard (yesterday, July 29th) the Golfo Ducle which is defined as a “Tropical Fjord” system as it reaches depths of over 300 meters (900ft )and is surrounded by towering Jurassic Park-like rainforest mountains.

Humpback Photo from the Lemmings:

To see one of these blue and white giants covered in barnacles and breaching with a huge belly flop or side splash is a memory that you will take home and cherish forever (we cannot promise you will experience this, but if it’s going to happen, this is the time of year to witness it). To hear their magnificent songs vibrate through the hull of the boat is beyond words and all I can say is, don’t miss your chance to witness one of Mother Nature’s largest biological ocean vessels in person this August and September at Crocodile Bay Resort (don’t forget your camera…if you have an SLR with a zoom lens, even better!)

Some more Whale and Dolphin Watching at Crocodile Bay:

All the family’s who came down for our Sensational Summer of Tales and Whales got their share of both, and there were a couple of family’s in particular that stand out as really coming up big on the seeing side and the catching side as well. We are still running the Sunsational Summer of Kids Free (Kids Stay, Eat, Fish and **Watch Wales Free in August and September !) Space is Limited! Sign up HERE TODAY if You’re Interested!!

Family Fishing Tales

The Kneucker Family (Collin, Dillon and father Mike) family wanted marlin, but admitted “anything would be fine” as we are in what some refer to Costa Rica’s “non-peak” season, some anglers hold their expectations at bay, especially when it comes to billfish of any kind. Not this year. But they got their Pacific blue marlin (pictured above) as well as several sailfish (below) and rooosterfish.

Kneuker Family Members Collin and Dillon With a Sailfish

Aiden Scroggins wanted a trip to the world famous Crocodile Bay Resort for his birthday to target rossterfish, and he got his wish! He made it down to see us and caught to 40-50lbs roosterfish and a nice sailfish! Way to go, and Happy Birthday from Crocodile Bay Resort!

Aiden Scroggins is right on target with the rooster he wanted. Happy Birthday!

The Flemmings These guys conquered the schools of Tuna completely and also did well with the sails. Take a look at some of these big tuna and even bigger smiles!

Spouse on the House II – Back by popular demand we are running our Spouse on the House II package all September long! We have added a twist this time with a FREE Whale Watching Tour as well as a Complimentary $1,595 Spa vacation for your wife or significant other when you book a three (3) day or longer fishing package – Click here for details. Single anglers and groups are entitled to 25% off your September Vacation if you book by Labor Day!

Crocodile Bay Videos – Courtesy of the Gunnell Family! Bringing in a 400 plus lbs Marlin as a family is an amazing experience. We would like to thank the Gunnell family for this great video that highlights the thrill of catching and releasing a Pacific Blue Marlin.

Around the Osa We’ve heard reports from Capt. Donald McGuinness that a 750lb black marlin was caught near Carate when it took an anglers silky snapper he had on the line as bait! This may be a good sign that the big blacks are moving in. It’s up to nature how long the blues will stay around but a Black and Blue August may be a strong possibility.

Fishing Forecast The Blues are not showing any sign of letting-up and the sailfish are not as thick as January through May – but are being had on a regular basis. Rooster fishing and fishing for other inshore species is historically very good this time of the year. We’re not sure how long the blue marlin will stick around but it could be worth coming down and taking a shot since the blacks appear to be steadily moving in as well.

Todd Staley Returns from his trip from the States to visit family August 15th with his Crocodile Bay Fishing Report! (and this time we mean it!)

Tight lines and crocodile smiles to everyone. Hope to see you all down soon doing some catching in Costa Rica! Will Briegel Filling in for Todd Staley, Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Rica www.crocodilebay.com

Marlin Thunder Offshore and Roosterfish Light it Up Inshore at Crocodile Bay Resort!Costa Rica Fishing Report, August 2013
By Will Briegel filling in for Todd Staley

Catching at least one blue marlin has been commonplace for those venturing offshore during their three day fishing packages, and if you’re not lucky enough to find that school of bonito that the marlin are chasing – there have been plenty of sailfish hanging around with folks releasing at least one or two each, there were a couple 4/4 -5/4 days which are great for July. Lets hope they stick around in August. Here’s some pics of this month’s marlin and sailfish releases aka”Blue Thunder” with some nice blue marlin being released.

Inshore, the “White Lightning” has been striking in the form of ravaging roosterfish running ramped, with no signs of this year’s Rooster Rally letting up (Click here to sign-up for our Roosterfish Competetion in August). In the past we have had guests come from as far away as New Zealand and Russia just to tangle with these tough scrappers that would probably score a 9 out of 10 if there was an America’s Top Fish modeling reality show. With their sleek striped body and cool 7 point comb, roosters offer inshore anglers the whole package. Roosterfish use their flat body against the current causing them to shoot out of the water with a sliver “flash” and at times dance like a sailfish. They can also stun you with their strength even at smaller sizes (15 to 25 lbs range) Although in the past couple of weeks most anglers have been getting them in the 35 to 50 lb range (see photos..some of these roosters look bigger than the kids catching them!)

What happens after a 7 Roosterfish Day? Hit the Spa!
I’m convinced the reason visionary and Crocodile Bay founder Robin Williams (not the comedian/actor) created a state-of-the-art luxury spa at the resort was for those anglers who target roosterfish, tuna or marlin. These fishermen/women bring big smiles and tall “Fish Tales” to the bar after the catch, but in the morning it’s all about the lumbar which is screaming for relief from one of our talented spa therapists – and trust me, an hour massage designed specially for anglers will have you rejuvenated and ready to get back out there to do some more battling.

For the significant other in your life, for instance, your wife, our spa offers over 20 amazing treatments with the majority of ingredients extracted from Costa Rica’s largest coastal rainforest, you’re gonna love it.

RETURN OF THE HUMPBACKS!
As predicted months ago by Fishing Director Todd Staley, the humpbacks are in our protected gulf teaching their calves how to hunt dive and communicate – a sort of kindergarten for humpbacks if you will. As we move into August, there were reports of seven; yes (7) pairs of humpbacks in our backyard (yesterday, July 29th) the Golfo Ducle which is defined as a “Tropical Fjord” system as it reaches depths of over 300 meters (900ft )and is surrounded by towering Jurassic Park-like rainforest mountains.

Humpback Photo from the Lemmings:

To see one of these blue and white giants covered in barnacles and breaching with a huge belly flop or side splash is a memory that you will take home and cherish forever (we cannot promise you will experience this, but if it’s going to happen, this is the time of year to witness it). To hear their magnificent songs vibrate through the hull of the boat is beyond words and all I can say is, don’t miss your chance to witness one of Mother Nature’s largest biological ocean vessels in person this August and September at Crocodile Bay Resort (don’t forget your camera…if you have an SLR with a zoom lens, even better!)

Some more Whale and Dolphin Watching at Crocodile Bay:

All the family’s who came down for our Sensational Summer of Tales and Whales got their share of both, and there were a couple of family’s in particular that stand out as really coming up big on the seeing side and the catching side as well. We are still running the Sunsational Summer of Kids Free (Kids Stay, Eat, Fish and **Watch Wales Free in August and September !) Space is Limited! Sign up HERE TODAY if You’re Interested!!

Family Fishing Tales

The Kneucker Family (Collin, Dillon and father Mike) family wanted marlin, but admitted “anything would be fine” as we are in what some refer to Costa Rica’s “non-peak” season, some anglers hold their expectations at bay, especially when it comes to billfish of any kind. Not this year. But they got their Pacific blue marlin (pictured above) as well as several sailfish (below) and rooosterfish.

Kneuker Family Members Collin and Dillon With a Sailfish

Aiden Scroggins wanted a trip to the world famous Crocodile Bay Resort for his birthday to target rossterfish, and he got his wish! He made it down to see us and caught to 40-50lbs roosterfish and a nice sailfish! Way to go, and Happy Birthday from Crocodile Bay Resort!

Aiden Scroggins is right on target with the rooster he wanted. Happy Birthday!

The Flemmings
These guys conquered the schools of Tuna completely and also did well with the sails. Take a look at some of these big tuna and even bigger smiles!

Spouse on the House II – Back by popular demand we are running our Spouse on the House II package all September long! We have added a twist this time with a FREE Whale Watching Tour as well as a Complimentary $1,595 Spa vacation for your wife or significant other when you book a three (3) day or longer fishing package – Click here for details. Single anglers and groups are entitled to 25% off your September Vacation if you book by Labor Day!

Crocodile Bay Videos – Courtesy of the Gunnell Family!
Bringing in a 400 plus lbs Marlin as a family is an amazing experience. We would like to thank the Gunnell family for this great video that highlights the thrill of catching and releasing a Pacific Blue Marlin.

Around the Osa
We’ve heard reports from Capt. Donald McGuinness that a 750lb black marlin was caught near Carate when it took an anglers silky snapper he had on the line as bait! This may be a good sign that the big blacks are moving in. It’s up to nature how long the blues will stay around but a Black and Blue August may be a strong possibility.

Fishing Forecast
The Blues are not showing any sign of letting-up and the sailfish are not as thick as January through May – but are being had on a regular basis. Rooster fishing and fishing for other inshore species is historically very good this time of the year. We’re not sure how long the blue marlin will stick around but it could be worth coming down and taking a shot since the blacks appear to be steadily moving in as well.

Todd Staley Returns from his trip from the States to visit family August 15th with his Crocodile Bay Fishing Report! (and this time we mean it!)

Tight lines and crocodile smiles to everyone. Hope to see you all down soon doing some catching in Costa Rica!
Will Briegel
Filling in for Todd Staley,
Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Ricawww.crocodilebay.com

The last few weeks of fishing have put the “sizzle” in our summer season for families, couples, and avid anglers who visited us looking to do some amazing fishing, relax in our Spa or enjoy the intense bio-diversity our area has to offer.

Mother Nature decided to pull the bait and switch “ON US” for once and delivered anglers flurries of high-flying sailfish instead of the black marlin that usually start to trickle in this time of the year. As a matter of fact the blue marlin have been sticking around with the sailfish and several anglers released Blues to 300lbs as well. Mrs. Nature also decided that everyone deserved a shot at lots of yellowfin tuna, roosterfish, snapper and pompano.

At least two of our guests hit grand slams and one of them was only 15. As forecasted by Todd Staley, the humpback whales have also moved into the gulf and are giving anglers and other guests great photo opportunities and the memories of a lifetime.Yvonne and Ferrell Jones (growers and producers of famous “Blue Diamond” Smoked Almonds) decided to bring their grand children Cody and Clayton Cornell down for the fishing adventure of a lifetime. The fish may have thought they were “off the hook” and able to school these youngsters, but 15-year-old Cody Cornell decided he wanted to catch every last one of them, and almost did. Cody caught several Roosters to 60lbs, a monster cubera snapper in the 50lbs range, several large sailfish (90 to 130), and countless tuna to hit the Grand Slam landing himself a spot on our coveted Wall of Fame (See Cody’s pic aobove of the big cubera Snapper that landed Cody on our Wall of Fame!)

Young Clayton is missing his two front teeth, but that didn’t seem to stop the sailfish from biting!

Mrs. Yvonne Jones proved that she can take on large costa rican billfish any day with this large sailfish. It seems people of all ages young, and elderly had great luck with inshore and offshore species this week.

Cody, Clayton and Grandma grin at Cody’s larger than life Roosterfish

Their final night at the resort they enjoyed…what else?? Fresh Sashimi!!!
Here’s a homespun video shot by young Clayton of his brother releasing a sail!

Tony Giorgi came to Crocodile Bay to target a single species: Roosterfish,considered by many to be the toughest fighting fish pound for pound – and one of the most glamorous with its shimmering black stripes and 7 point comb-over. Roosterfish can be caught year-round at Crocodile Bay Resort and when the roosters are on a “run” anglers can get into hours of non-stop fighting action.

Tony released seven (7) Roosters one day and on other days did battle with sailfish and several plates of previously swimming sushi that he was kind enough to share with members of the Crocodile Staff, myself included!
Thanks Tony!

Tony Giorgi owns a hunting and Bass fishing guide service called BassNBoars in northern California and is rumored to be among the top Bass guides in the area – if you’re ever out that way, pay him a visit www.bassnboars.com

Father and Son tandem Alan and Robert Brightman who took a chance looking for Sailfish in July landed sailfish daily with young Robert pictured here with a monster Sailfish. The next day the dynamic duo went 4 for 4 on sails and left with the tell tale “Crocodile Smile” on each of their faces! Robert has fished all over the world and was very pleased with the amount of sailfish we put him on! Hope to see back next year!

Another youngster, Allan Brightman releases his first sailfish!

If you haven’t tried African Pompano, you’re missing a real treat! One of our favorite inshore species to catch and eat!

Mr. Jenkins owner of a Marriott Residence Inn Hotel In Daytona brought his son Kieth down for the Crocodile Bay “Tails and Whales” Package and have been getting plenty of both! On inshore days they caught nice pompano, roosters, and jacks and actually saw this young humpback close to shore..watch out – Breach, don’t beach! Offshore it was tuna galore following spinner dolphin closely, they also raised and released several sails.

This time of year we also welcome guests who like to mix the fishing with adventure eco-tours and or aluxury spa experience! National Geographic has been quoted as saying our area the Osa Peninsula is “the the most biologically intense place on Earth”. Our award winning eco-director Dennis Atencio loves to prove this fact to any guest who doesn’t’t believe it with one of our full day rainforest tours. Check out his monthly eco-report here that shows the amazing diversity of wildlife and scenery to be found in our very own back yard! Monkeys, birds, sloths, and other amazing species!

Hello! A Humpback whale waves to our guests as they look for tuna!

The Humpback whales inside our gulf have been spotted daily (a calf pictured below gets very close to shore). The whales have started to move in for their annual migration and their numbers and your chances to see them only increase as me move into August, September and October. This weekend we also saw more black and blue marlin moving into the area as well as some floating logs with birds on top that usually turn into nice pick-up joints for Dorado! Tuna continue to run with the porpoises which have kept plates full and chopsticks chopping. Some of our guests including Dave Jenkins from Florida had sashimi right on the boat…how fresh is that (drool).

August Rooster Rally at Crocodile Bay Resort! Don’t miss your shot at a complimentary Replica Roosterfish Display from Gray Taxidermy (replica mount) – a trophy and gift from Crocodile Bay – for the angler who catches the MOST roosterfish in August – his or her largest Roosterfish(or roosterfish of choice) will be immortalized by Gray’s Taxidermy and shipped to his or her home!(shipping charges not included)

The Legendary Todd Staley will return from his birthday and visit to the ICAST Fishing Show in Las Vegas next week for the August Costa Rica Fishing Report.

Until then, tight lines and crocodile smiles to everyone. Hope to see you all down soon doing some catching in Costa Rica!
Will Briegel
Filling in for Todd Staley,
Crocodile Bay Resort, Costa Ricawww.crocodilebay.com

I love chocolate and I love the earth, so when the two come together to form an organic sustainable farm that sounds like a good idea to me. Kobo Farm, founded by four brothers, does just this. The brothers had a vision to create a sustainable farm and went for it. The farm is not only a working farm but also an educational center that ecotourists and locals can visit to learn about sustainable agriculture practices. Kobo Farm is leading a growing trend in the area towards sustainable agriculture coupled with microfarming. I’m betting chocolate will become the next big thing here too. Continue reading →

Chocolate is one of the world’s treasured delicacies. Cocoa can be traced back to 600 A.D when the Mayans migrated to northern South America and established the first known Cocoa Plantation in the Yucatan. It’s early uses included not only eating it but also using it as a currency. It was cultivated by indigenous people as a sacred plant for thousands of years until disocovered by Spain in the 1600s and has become a major international commodity. Continue reading →

As world food demand rises with a growing population, microfarming is an old concept quickly gaining popularity. It use to be that big is beautiful now the model is shifting to small is beautiful and that is the essence of microfarming. The dominant 20th century paradigm that large-scale agriculture could save and feed the world is now being turned on its head as years of cumulative problems start to rear their ugly heads and climate instability becomes a more pressing issue. The search for solutions to these problems has led people to the rediscovery of microfarmng.

Microfarming was practiced for centuries before industrialized farming. With the growing demand for food, microfarming is gaining momentum through out the world including in urban areas. 15% of the world’s food now comes from microfarmers. It works under the principles that the ecosystem is based on relationships of interdependency and balance. Continue reading →

Americans love to travel making up 49% of Costa Rica tourists, and they are demanding eco destination spots. According to the World Trade Organization, ecotourism captured 7% of the international market in 2007 with a global market economic impact of $77 billion. Ecotourism accounts for 6% of the worldwide GDP with a staggering growth rate of 5% per year. The industry is being driven by a rising consumer demand, which is creating a healthy market that many resorts are catering to.

While Golfito means little, the surrounding area’s biodiversity is a treasure trove of nature’s wonders. In 1939, the United Fruit Company established the frontier town of Golfito for banana production. Here, you are on the edge of civilization. This area is known as the last frontier, and it is one of the least explored and most beautiful places in the world. Neighboring Golfito and Blancas National Park is the Golfito National Wildlife Refuge, which covers some 6,943 acres. Refuges such as this one play a significant role in habitat protection of wildlife, flora and fauna. They safeguard the area from development paths that would threaten the incredible biodiversity of this country while also supporting ecotourism . Continue reading →

It is no surprise that the fertile Golfo Dulce is a nursery for many fish including juvenile sharks. Sharks are abundant in these waters and these prehistoric creatures are some of the most intriguing of all of sea creatures. While they have gotten a bad wrap for being predators, they play a very important role in maintaining health of the oceans as predators and scavengers. Females travel from the ocean to this coastal area to birth pups in the mangroves where the young sharks find protection from large predators. A growing concern are the free trade agreements with China that allow for large-scale extraction coupled with China’s insatiable appetite for shark fin soup. The number of illegal shark poachers is on the rise and there is a growing push for shark protection initiatives in Costa Rica. Continue reading →

In the Southern part of Costa Rica just above Panama is Golfo Dulce. Wild, untouched raw nature, this bay is where you go for an exotic get away. With a fragile marine environment, it is one of only three tropical fjords in the entire world. The mangroves provide a crucial nursery for marine life such as sharks and shrimp. With a depth of more than 1,000 feet in some places, it is one of the deepest gulfs on the planet. It provides some of the best inshore fishing opportunities available anywhere. With an abundance of snapper, roosterfish, grouper, snook, blue travelli, amber jack, jack crevalle and ciero mackeral there is no shortage of fishing opportunities here. It is a bottomless pit in terms of the number of fish. It is a favored destination spot for anglers, and Costa Rica has taken special efforts to preserve the surrounding the environment. The question is: What makes these waters so incredible? Continue reading →